In situations where a scarce resource is sought by multiple potential users, it has long been commonplace to accept reservations. In a typical scenario, the resource is reserved on a first come-first served basis, where the first users to place a reservation request are the first to receive a reservation.
This paradigmatic approach is fraught with limitations. In particular, potential resource users have little or no way to identify their true needs to the resource provider. As a result, the resource provider has no information with which to distinguish between potential resource users when arbitrating between users. The resource provider assumes that all users seeking a reservation place equal importance on receiving a reservation.
This is particularly true in instances where the resource provider is setting a price for a resource and the only decision that a potential resource user makes is whether to submit an advance reservation request for the resource. The problem is further compounded when there is little or no price discrimination practiced by a resource provider. In such situations, there is little opportunity for a potential resource user to “outbid” the other users by, for example, seeking a reservation for a more costly, and thus typically less-well-subscribed, service.
In each of these scenarios, the potential resource user is presented with effectively a binary decision criterion—place an advance reservation request or not place an advance reservation request. As a result, the resource provider plays little role, if any, other than by setting a price for the resource, when it comes to arbitrating between users.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art seek an advance reservation system that overcomes these problems. In particular, those skilled in the art seek methods and apparatus that allow a resource provider to play a larger role in arbitrating between potential resource users seeking resource reservations. In addition, those skilled in the art seek methods and apparatus that allow potential resource users to better indicate the value they place on receiving a reservation for a scarce resource.